Radio Programming Ideas For Personalities and Programmers, Especially Country Radio Broadcasters.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

A New (Third!) Dimension For Kenny Chesney

The New York Times' movie reviewer claims that perhaps too much touring caused "little spontaneity," but Entertainment Weekly and People are more a bit more supportive in their previews and reviews of Kenny's 3-D replay of last summer's stadium coast (Boston) to coast (Seattle) tour.

I was in the sandbox last July at Qwest field and expected the flick to be less of a thrill than the live Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, Brooks & Dunn + Chesney show was in person, but the sense of how it feels close up to perform in front of 60,000+ loyal fans won me over to the point that I was singing along and almost applauded after several of the performances.

1 comment:

Holly Gleason
said...

Nashville, TN: Kenny Chesney didn't think about red carpets with Matthew McConnaughey and Morgan Freeman, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw or Faith Hill when he got a notion to bring some 3D cameras out to capture his full-tilt Sun City Carnival Tour. Nor did he consider the film's 98 minutes. 23 songs would mark a place in his life when playing NFL stadiums was the norm and the people who lived his songs would show him just how much they care about the man and the music.

“I don't think til we slowed down and really started looking at what was shot did I really begin to get it,” says the soft-spoken man from East Tennessee. “You know, you're working so hard to try to be better, to try to be the person those fans deserve - and you are more aware of trying to give than you are considering how the fans are responding to it. When we started editing, that's when it hit me: when we saw those faces, the looks on them, the emotions.

“And I've said throughout the process: so many nights onstage, I'd close my eyes and wish they could see what I see, feel the things I was feeling… Now, through this amazing and time consuming process, they really, really can. People who've been have come up to me and said, 'Man, so that's what it's like. How do you do that?”

Following a red carpet premiere in Las Vegas, the film opened across America last night - and Chesney was on hand in Chicago - as a surprise -- to introduce the film to a sold-out room of country music fans. “You guys are a big part of this movie,” he told the assembled movie goers. “You're the reason we're all here… and what you're about to see isn't just a concert, or 6 concerts, it's a journey of a lot of nights, a lot of miles… and a lot of faces.”

On of the events attendees' even brought an essay she wrote three years ago called “Country Thunder,” about seeing the performer when she was 11. The assignmet was about Peak Experiences. The student received 100%.

“That's the stuff people who don't both to find out about this music don't realize,” Chesney marvels. “A young lady outside Chicago came to a festival we played three years ago - and it moved her enough to write a paper about it and get an “A.” When you can be that kind of aspect of people's lives, then you've connected… and that's what me and the guys live to do.”

Further connecting is the way Sony Pictures Releases the Hot Ticket is responding to fan requests. While alternative programming traditionally runs at specific times, Chesney's fans have been asking for and are getting additional weekend shows at 7 pm, 9 pm and midnight at many of the 1000+ theatres “Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D” is running at.

“The idea is these films are for nontraditional movie goers,” Chesney explains. “But my fans are traditional concert-goers and that's just the time they're coming to life. Added shows are being daily…. Just keep checking, they're popping up every day.”

For More InformationHollly Gleason for Kenny Chesney(615)-269-3238Wes Vause for BNA Records(615)-301-4300